Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
At a Glance
A common diving duck of the Old World, the Eurasian counterpart of our Ring-necked Duck. Tufted Ducks wander to North America from both directions, reaching the northeast from Europe and Iceland, reaching Alaska and the Pacific Coast from Asia. Although they are turning up more often, they are still considered rare everywhere except western Alaska.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Diving Ducks, Duck-like Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Saltwater Wetlands
Region
Alaska and The North, California, New England, Northwest, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Swimming
Range & Identification
Description
17" (43 cm). Tuft on head may be long or short, sometimes missing. Male shows strong contrast of white sides, black back. Female resembles other female divers, mostly dark brown, sometimes with white around base of bill; not safely identified unless she has obvious head tuft.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Purple, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Various soft growling notes; low whistles.
Call Pattern
Flat, Simple
Call Type
Croak/Quack, Rattle, Whistle
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Tufted Duck